TIPPING POINT
by Neil Davies1
Summary: Charming thinks Peri, we've arrived on a huge landfill site in space. But there's more to d37 alpha than meets the eye as she and the sixth Doctor are about to discover. This is one dump that's about to get very busy indeed.


**TIPPING POINT**

Peri was frightfully uncomfortable and not a little hacked off to be honest. The breathing mask she wore was too tight, the goggles were pinching the bridge of her nose and the hairnet she'd been forced to wear felt like it was made of wire mesh so goodness only knew what it was doing to her short bob.

Even with all this gear the stink was overpowering so bad in fact that it made her eyes water it smelled like a mix of metal filing, wood chip, old rubber, dampness and decaying vegetation.

She'd landed on some pretty unpromising even ugly planets but this one took the cookie (or biscuit as the English called them). It was essentially a huge land-fill site, a garbage scow, a monstrous crater filled with junk of all kinds from bits of pipe and guttering to engine parts, spaceship hulls, various types of boxy computer terminals, huge tracts of rubber and snakes of plastic tubing.

But what annoyed her the most was the Doctor; sans mask, goggles and hair net he didn't seem remotely affected by the stink, damp or black dust which was rapidly coating her protective boiler suit.

"Isn't the stench bothering you," she mumbled into her mask; it's tiny microphone carrying her voice to a small ear piece he wore.

"Oh time lord's can deactivate their olfactory nerve at will," he said breezily and she blinked at him, he hadn't mentioned this before.

"Isn't the dust getting in your eyes," he wasn't so much as blinking rapidly?

"Extra mucus membranes; my corneas and retinas are totally safe."

"Okay," Peri whined, "So how come I'm the only one with the granny hair net," a fashion accessory it wasn't?

"I can re-grow my hair at will," he was blithe and matter of fact that she felt the need to growl in frustration. He could re-grow his hair; this was something else he'd failed to mention.

Worst of all was his good mood, he was in one of his pleasant smiling phases, which made a nice change from sulking, posturing, bellowing admittedly but she couldn't work out what he was so damned pleased about.

"This place is a dump," she had to say it; one of them needed to be honest, the planet was a dump a giant dust bin.

"A class 2 refuse planet to be precise," he corrected as he was wont to do, "Giant corporations buy them wholesale and just dump waste on them until they are totally filled or implode."

Peri was horrified, she'd never heard anything so appalling it was criminal it was ecological insanity.

"That's disgusting, why does nobody do anything about it?"

"The planets are small, unoccupied, have no historical features of interest and are off the beaten track."

"Why not recycle," a big fan of recycling and protecting the environment Peri had joined Greenpeace at university and was passionate on this subject?

"Dumping's cheaper, out of sight out of mind."

"Doesn't any of this bother you at all," she had thought he'd be more vocal, keen to point out the shortcomings of so hideous and short sighted a policy, after all he was no fan of the giant corporations?

"It bothers me a great deal Peri," he sighed softly kicking at some grey cylinders of alloy, "Which is why I wanted to see for myself."

Surely there was someone they could complain to, there had to be a breach of some law or regulation going on here, "Okay," she said, "So we've seen how bad it is," half turning she sneezed brushing a cloying film of dark muck from her boiler suit, "Let's get out of here."

Taking a huge stride in the opposite direction, clearly in no hurry to leave the curly haired man glanced about him, "Something's not quite right here," he muttered and Peri felt a groan coming on.

Not the _nothing quite right_ speech it always presaged a good nosy around which led to getting into hot water and often being shot at.

"You mean apart from eco-terrorism," she threw back snidely, "Corporate greed and total irresponsibility?"

He hummed, "Yes apart from them," then bent down and picked something up; it was paper not alloy and might have been a print out, she read a headline DRC chairman forced to resign.

"DRC," she quizzed having never heard of it?

"Dynosphere Refuse Corporation; they might be the owners of this benighted rock," the Doctor read, "Sounds like a boardroom coup."

Thrilling thought Peri, why should she care if some executive big wig had been replaced by another; it happened all the time.

"So what's not right about this place specifically," she jibed but he was so engrossed in reading that he didn't answer.

Moving up alongside him to peer over a burly shoulder she blinked at the very small print, more broadsheet than tabloid she decided.

"Costigan," she said.

"Yes, Theodore Costigan, ex chair of DRC – turfed out at an emergency board meeting ten days ago."

"Do you know him," the Doctor knew so many people it wasn't beyond the bounds of possibility.

But the thick lips pursed, "Can't say I've had the pleasure."

"So why the rapt interest?"

"DRC are trying to reinvent themselves, appear more user friendly; dump the cowboy couldn't-care-less image."

Peri rolled her eyes; there was no sign of that here then she blinked a movement over on the right having caught her attention. A hatchway had opened in the side of an oblong of sheet metal and a small squat figure had emerged.

It looked like a robot and seemed to be made of the same junk that surrounded it, ill matching metal plates, a box-like head, tubular arms ending in dirty grey gauntlets, a cylindrical torso and some winking lights at elbow and knee. The feet were metal clogs or boots, square ended and clunky.

"Looks like this place isn't deserted after all," Peri's urgent tone made the Doctor glance up from his reading and break into a beatific smile. Pocketing the printout he skipped onto a disk of polished silver then hopped over to a pile of dark rods lying on their sides.

He could be agile for a big man, belying his weight and girth with some impressive footwork that at times left her feeling clumsy and flat footed. He clearly had no fear of the small chunky robot, which didn't appear to be armed as far as she could see.

The odd thing didn't have a face as such just two red bulbs for eyes and a kind of grill, it was from the grill that the voice came and it was the saddest, glummest robot voice Peri had ever heard, think Marvin the Paranoid Android and then some it was like one long drawn out sigh.

"Follow," it droned as it about faced and went back the way it had come.

In there, thought Peri none too keen to see more of this dismal place, "I'll head back to the," she began but the man in the blazing Technicolor coat was having none of it.

"Should be cleaner inside, less smell," he tempted. Yeah she was ruminating and maybe more odd chunky robots made of metal trash.

"I'm not sure," could she even navigate the slippery terrain of pipes, tubes and metal filings?

But hopping back to where she stood the Doctor did something rare for him (in his current form); he offered a supportive arm thick, sturdy and surprisingly reassuring.

"Hold onto me Peri, you won't fall I promise."

Faced with this degree of gallantry how could she refuse without seeming churlish?

Reaching the round door she peered inside, the lighting was subdued and vague orange but what she could see appeared clean, descending stairs, smooth silvery walls, a low hum of power and if she wasn't much mistaken the whiff of air con.

Oh god what she wouldn't give for air con right now? The robot had disappeared but she could hear those heavy clogs on the stairs going down.

"Looks okay," she steeled herself.

"I know a good robot from a bad one," the podgy face beamed back at her.

"Well if you're sure," she took a step inside and another then she removed her goggles, nothing jumped into her eyes or made them itch so she peeled off the mask and inhaled warm fresh air, scented and pleasant.

Joining her, the Doctor watched the door automatically close behind them, she saw him studying its control mechanism perhaps thinking of a rapid escape should it be necessary.

"Doctor, that robot seemed to be made of the same materials we saw outside."

Ne nodded the fact unlikely to have bypassed him, "Cannibalised spare parts, probably the only choice."

"But who would build robots down here and why," it made no obvious sense?

"Let's go and find out," and that swift gait of his took him down the stairs ahead of her, the orange light making his garish coat seem even more clownish. Peri followed at a slower more cautious pace glad to be out of the stink, if only he could remove the hair net.

They found the robot waiting for them in a narrow tunnel at the base of the stairs and it was soon obvious that someone had built a refuge down here under all the junk – lighting, heating, air con and a ceiling high enough for Peri to straight up out of her crouch.

Observant eyes flicking over floor, walls and support struts the Doctor made a low clucking sound, "As I thought," he remarked, "This was once a spaceship."

"Follow," sighed the sad voice of the mechanical; did it never say anything else?

"Why is it concealed," Peri asked?

"Perhaps whoever flew it here didn't want to be found," speculation but it made a certain sense.

"A fugitive you mean?"

In answer the time lord patted the pocket where he'd stashed that printout, it was clear from his frown and pursed lips that he'd already formulated a theory about their host although she was completely in the dark.

Moving surprisingly fast for a chunky, short-legged automaton the robot led them to what was obviously a control centre, and might well have once been the bridge of a ship.

Screens dominate done entire wall, cube shaped TV monitors some of which displayed images from up top, the others, showed views of space as seen from orbit, one looked like a kind of stock-market report showing bonds and shares being traded.

A vast central chair (complex and somehow medical in nature) dominated the centre of the bridge, into it fed pipes and what could have been IV lines that made Peri think of a life support system.

Sat in the chair was a man, well a man-like figure; he seemed enthroned there. His grey almost bald head was organic as was most of his torso and one arm but the other arm was a cybernetic attachment, a many jointed silvery hydraulic prosthesis with more of a claw than a hand.

Peri couldn't see any legs as the lower part of the man was immersed into the base of the chair like man and chair were somehow the same thing.

Grey bearded and sharp featured he looked to be in his early sixties with one eye clearly bionic – it was pearlescent and virtually white – giving him a very sinister appearance.

When he spoke his voice was gravelly, sort of Lee Marvin and it crackled making her think that his voice box could be bionic too like those things cancer patients had only more sophisticated.

"Your space ship didn't register on my sensors which are, I might add, of the very best design."

Not fazed by this the Doctor offered a warm smile, "My space ship is, therefore by definition, of a better design."

Acknowledging this with a nod and low rumbling chuckle devoid of mirth the seated man studied his guests, "Not mercenaries or hired agents, unarmed, civilian clothing of a type I'm not familiar with; I must say I find you surprising and few things surprise me these days."

"Just travellers," the Doctor evaded, "Who happened to be passing by."

Even to Peri this sounded unlikely, "I'm Peri," she said realising the Doctor wasn't going to introduce her so she might as well do it herself, "This is some place you have here Mister," but the seated man bluntly ignored her all his attention on the garish coat and blond curls.

Eyes riveted on a screen which showed space and the curve of the planet and something else, a luminous orb, "A ship has taken up geostationary orbit above us," he said thoughtfully studying some text on the scream, meaningless to Peri, all squiggles and numbers.

"It's a high end luxury space yacht," the Doctor sounded impressed then his features tensed, "With some very impressive weaponry added – phason blasters, space to ground thermite bombs and that could well be a matter-energy beam relay."

The seated man didn't gasp in surprise but he was clearly impressed, "You can read my computer algorithms; I thought them skilfully encrypted,"

"Oh they are," the time lord beamed now sounding his usual smug self, "For some," he added then asked, "Who's after you Mr Costigan, I am addressing Theodore Costigan am I not, former chairman of DRC?"

Peri was astonished, where the hell had that come from? She remembered the name from the article, the guy deposed recently but there had been no picture or description of Costigan.

"Impressive," the seated man rasped, "Yes you are," he admitted.

"So what are you doing here," asked Peri not adding _in this dump?_

"Hiding," it was the Doctor who answered now oozing confidence, "From them," he cocked a thumb at the screen at the high end space yacht.

"And who are they," she knew he was expected her to ask so he could answer and sound even more brilliant, it seemed to be her role in life. Pausing only briefly the time lord eyed Costigan, who sighed?

"You tell me, you seem to be a man with all the answers."

Isn't he just thought Peri?

"At a guess," said the Doctor, "I'd say the very people who removed you from office."

"His old buddies from the company," Peri blurted and saw the Doctor tense, he didn't grimace at her American slang but she could tell he wasn't keen. Honestly he could be so pedantic in his new body, reminding her of an old English Professor she'd once had.

"Exactly," the word dripped with both approval and distaste.

But now she was lost, they'd got what they wanted with Costigan out of the way and themselves in the hot seat, why chase a broken defeated man hiding away on a refuse planet?

"I didn't leave empty-handed," Theodore seemed to enjoy admitting this like it was a guilty secret he was proud of, as though he'd gotten one over on his opponents. They had his job and his company but he had something else of equal if not greater importance.

"No I imagine you didn't," the Doctor permitted himself a knowing little smile.

"Dirty secrets," Peri suggested, "Dodgy deals, financial irregularities," that was a phrase she'd heard on CNN?

Costigan snorted, "That and more, much more," he grated. How much more could they be she wondered – murder, arson, terrorism – just what had DRC been up to that was so bad?

Flitting to another computer the Doctor peered at its readouts, gibberish to her (and to most people, no doubt) but he seemed to have no difficulty in deciphering the machine code.

Rising with a flourish – there was something of the ham actor in him – he parted his arms and gave a nod, "This planet," he said and left it for Theo to continue.

"Exactly," the former chairman smiled.

"Exactly what," having trouble keeping up like they were talking in code Peri looked form one man to the other?

"It's artificial," the Doctor put her out of her misery.

"You mean it's mechanical," Peri quizzed thinking of some kind of giant metallic sphere put together like a massive kit?

"Not exactly," Theo threw her a withering look which she chose to ignore.

"Cloned," the Doctor guessed but his guesses were usually pretty good. Peri blinked, was he serious, how could you clone a planet? A leaf sure, a frog even a sheep but an entire world?

"That's impossible," she risked saying even if it made her look a complete dork in front of these two.

"I found a way to do it," Costigan was boasting now, full of himself and his own importance, "A cheap and efficient way of mass producing planets."

"But why bother," she asked, "When they are so many already devoid of life?"

"Because," the Doctor judged, "You have to apply to dump waste on existing planets, even if you own them, permits, visas, the permission of this federation or that empire. But if you clone your own," he lowered his arms and his chin a degree in remorse.

"Oh I get it," she said, "No paperwork."

"Which," the man in the chair wheeled around slightly to face her now, "is illegal, unethical and punishable by huge fines."

"Fines DRC would be liable to pay," the Doctor was nodding, "Probably bankrupting them."

Hence the space yacht armed to the bows, was it here to kill Costigan or buy him off, the former would be her guess based on all the hardware it was packing.

"Okay," she trilled, "So you've got them over a barrel, you know their dirty secret and they're desperate to shut you up."

"There's more," the Doctor was solemn now even pensive, able to read between the lines, "There has to be," he decided, "That yacht suggests senior executives maybe even your successor is here, but why would people like that come in person when they could hire an army of mercenaries?"

"Oh very good Doctor, very astute," Costigan scoffed a man who was no stranger to false flattery, "Yes there is more, I didn't just clone planets my skills and imagination aren't so limited."

As if realising he'd have to dig for the answer the curly haired man began working keys, easily bypassing defences and fire walls like he did it all the time, which he did.

Then Peri felt it and staggered, the floor had moved the whole room had, juddering and shaking, vibrating so hard she had to hang onto the chunky robot or fall over. Loose objects clattered to the floor and a chair on castors rolled across her vision left to right until it bumped into a fixed installation.

Earthquake? Correction this wasn't earth; planet-quake then. Costigan didn't look bothered but the tendrils of dust falling from the ceiling made the Doctor glance up, brushing one padded shoulder. Wow that coat of his was so eighties she thought a loud rash of colour in this dull bland environment of grey and beige.

"Your former friends are trying to get your attention Theo," the Doctor kept working keys.

"Let them sweat for a bit after what they put me through," the bitterness was rank in the air and hinted at old battles and vicious back stabbing.

"Aren't you worried," Peri asked because she was, what if that yacht was powerful; enough to split this small planet apart?

The one human eye of Theo glittered with such malice she knew in that instant he was mad, barking mad, a self obsessed ego maniac.

"I have the advantage here," he purred in a low growl. Not seeing it Peri frowned at him then turned to her companion. Ship bristling with guns versus junk planet; it was no contest surely, how could Theo win no matter what he knew?

Eyes downcast the Doctor hit keys and on a small screen a complex schematic appeared a sort of cylinder lying horizontally divided into sections.

"A Reese Hagan generator," the time lord mused and Peri remembered him mentioning it.

"Didn't they insert them into asteroids so they could pilot them to ore mines," the tardis had been navigating its way through a particularly dense cloud of asteroids at the time, "Only that looks kind of big?"

"It is," the Doctor agreed, "Far bigger than you'd need for an asteroid, in fact its large enough for...," and his gaze rose to fix on Costigan who was smiling contently.

"Exactly," he sighed, "It means I can pilot this planet like a space craft and if I choose crash it into that fancy space yacht; which is why I'm bothered by their armaments."

Eyes wide Peri knew what she must look like but couldn't help it, "Pilot a planet," she asked, "Can he?"

Features troubled and fingers tapping furiously the curly haired man moved to another screen; something else had caught his attention and he wasn't happy to see it.

"Have you seen this Theo," he asked turning a screen around for the other man to see, on it were terms like mass, density, gravity and content.

"What of it," the question was dismissive?

"You can't move this planet."

"Why not," Peri was lost again; the equations meant nothing to her?

"Because this world has reached its tipping point," the Doctor boomed and seeing her blank look softened his tone, "Too much garbage has been dumped here, heavy elements, tons of metal and alloy if he tries to pilot out of orbit this world will rip apart at the seams."

"You mean it's overloaded," she reasoned, "too heavy."

"Exactly; tipping point."

But Costigan was unimpressed in fact he was derisive, "My calculations suggest otherwise."

"Then believe your own computer," the Doctor raged, "I'm not making this up."

"Aren't you, perhaps this is the reason you are here, why DRC sent you in the first place. I find it interesting that your arrival coincides perfectly with the arrival of the yacht."

"But we didn't come here in a yacht," Peri blurted, "We came in," but the Doctor's demolition ball voice cut across her.

"We have nothing to do with the company Theo; we're just visitors, a neutral third party."

But this cut no ice with the seated man his cybernetic limb swinging around to stop just inches from the time lord's nose, "I think you're spies, company gofers here to undermine me."

Peri wanted to scream that this wasn't true when something hard and stiff closed around her right forearm; it was a clamp belonging to the short stubby robot. Next instant the Doctor was seized around the neck by a larger U-shaped claw which was on the end of a telescopic arm.

His robot was tall and thin like a giant upright vacuum cleaner with a bulbous head made mostly of glass or crystal.

The two robots were like an electronic Laurel and Hardy she thought, although there was nothing funny about them or what they were doing.

"I think," said Costigan, "That's time you were confined to quarters."

Peri didn't struggle, she knew it would be futile but the Doctor twisted this way and that in a vain attempt to free himself.

"You can't do this," he roared, "Move this world and you'll destroy it."

But the words fell on deaf ears; Costigan was no longer listening or interested.

With a sudden lunge the Doctor managed to grab the arm of Theo's chair which was chunky with controls, "Listen to me you fool," but he was hauled back by Laurel and dragged towards the same exit as her.

Peri did not resist, what would be the point; it looked they were heading for their default setting – confinement in some dingy cell. Great; they could sit there together as this world tore itself to shreds what fun.

As soon as they were gone Costigan eyed his main viewer INCOMING MESSAGE flashed up in red so he hit 'receive' and a familiar face filled the screen.

"Belva, what a joy to see you again," he said not meaning it one little bit. With her bell of dyed black hair, pinched features, high necked tunic and sunken soulless eyes Belva Steelbrace looked devoid of humour, personality or conscience which was a fair summation of her character. As the new chair of DRC she had replaced Theo but it didn't seem to have made her any happier; he hadn't seen her smile once in all the time he'd known her.

"Enjoying the sensation of power are we," he mocked, "I should if I were you it isn't going to last much longer."

The voice when it came was reed thin, a flat and monotonous dirge, "If you surrender now Theo I will instruct my crew to treat you with dignity."

"Me surrender," he bellowed back, "I think you over-estimate your position my dear?"

The gaunt face and dead eyes regarded him, "You're only making this harder on yourself Theo, my yacht can obliterate the entire planet; you have no other realistic options."

"Do I not Belva," flicking a switch Costigan felt power vibrate through his chair as the giant engine at the heart of the planet came online. The Doctor was wrong, he was a fool what did he know?

The tiny storage cupboard with its microscopic table and two hard stools was everything Peri had feared. Worse still Laurel and Hardy had crammed themselves in to reducing wriggle room even more.

She felt it at the same time as the Doctor, the hum of power, the flickering lights and the shaking of the floor.

"Oh no," was all she could think to say.

"Costigan is a fool," the time lord seethed his features flushed with indignation.

"Well we can't stop him from in here," aware her voice had that annoying sarcastic whine Peri felt like a brat but really what was she supposed to say?

"Can't we indeed," opening his right hand the Doctor revealed a small black wafer trapped between fore and middle fingers, it was only an inch square and threaded with micro circuitry.

"Is that," she gulped?

"It is," he moved the chip to his left wrist where a chunky watch was strapped, only it was far more than a mere watch with its complex display screen. It began to glow soft blue and soon so did the microchip the Doctor had palmed from Costigan's chair arm. Peri didn't understand at first then Laurel and Hardy began to utter some insane gibberish and smoke from their heads.

They were controlled from the chair; she got it now; first move deal with the hired muscle then they could tackle the door and then hopefully a madman.

A loud crack and a flash made Peri scream, smoke rose from Laurel's splintered glass head, Hardy was spinning around on the spot like a crazy C3PO, smoke was leaking out of his joints and back, a panel fell open to reveal melting circuits.

"Wow," she said but the Doctor was already at the door fiddling with the control mechanism. The room shook again, seeming to tilt off its axis which it probably was.

"We're too late Doctor."

"Positive thinking Peri."

Was he serious, the planet was already moving they had hit tipping point, "But how can we stop Costigan?"

"You leave him to me, ah," the door hissed sideways giving them their escape route. How far was it to the bridge, she wasn't sure they'd seemed to walk for three or four minutes?

Another quake and she was flung sideways, with amazing dexterity he caught her; his grip gentle she'd about to crack her skull open on some kind of radiator.

"Thanks," with a curt nod he was off weaving from side to side, stumbling here and staggering there but he made good progress. Peri felt like she was in a bouncy castle and couldn't move as well but when she reached the bridge she found the Doctor looking around in horror and dismay.

Of their host there was no sign; his cybernetic seat was empty.

On the bridge of the space Yacht ABUNDANCE red alert klaxons were screaming and pulsing lights painted Belva's cadaverous features orange, she didn't need her staff to tell her the planet was moving out of orbit or that it was on a collision course with them.

It was also clear they were caught in its gravity well and couldn't pull away so she barked one word "transmat," and rose from her command seat.

"To where," asked her pilot a young man with a not unhandsome face?

"There is only one realistic option don't you think," she told him and he blinked.

"Transmat down there," he didn't sound too keen?

"Would you rather die up here in the vacuum of space," above all else Belva was a pragmatist, "Assemble a full away team, we evacuate in 45 seconds."

There was no sign of Costigan; he was not sat in his usual place on the throne as Peri thought of it. Indeed the command chair was oddly different with exposed prongs and some kind of large screw mechanism exposed. It was as if something industrial had been detached.

"I thought Theo was a cripple," she wasn't sure why she'd believed that.

"Not quite," inspecting the chair the Doctor made a few pointing gestures, "He has a bionic arm maybe he has bionic legs to," this was something she hadn't considered, their host clunking around like a vast robotic spider.

"Where would he go," and why would he leave his all-precious bridge?

Then a new voice cold and female made them spin around, "That's something I'd like to know," the black haired, black uniformed woman was pinched and austere. She wasn't very tall but had a commanding air about her that made Peri instantly afraid.

The 4 guys with blaster sin their hands didn't help, all had DRC printed n their collars and sleeves; the company had arrived it seemed.

With a sniff the Doctor nodded, "transmat," he declared, "You must be from the yacht, I'm the Doctor and this is..."

But Belva Steelbrace wasn't in the mood for social pleasantries, "Where is Costigan?"

Peri felt sulky, "We were just wondering that, he had us locked up and when we got free..."

Taking over the Doctor frowned at the blasters, his dislike of guns only too evident, "We're not the enemy," he said peevishly.

"That," Belva was ice cold, "Remains to be seen, this is DRC property and you are trespassing," she was about as much fun as the bionic man thought Peri, "spread out and find Theo," the gunmen were told. Soon Belva was holding her own gun and she kept it on the Doctor as she circled the room.

"Why is this planet suffering so much seismic activity," at that moment another mini-quake shook the furniture?

"Tipping point," Peri offered, "Too much junk."

"Yes that reminds me," said the man in the coat, "We need to get off this planet, I take it we can't use your transmat."

"The yacht has been destroyed," not seeming to cut up about that Belva sniffed, "There is no way off d37 alpha."

So that's what the place was called how uninspired thought Peri.

"Actually," fingers combing his luxuriant curls the Doctor made an offer, "We have transport, you and your chaps are welcome to join us."

Appalled Peri threw him a look, did he really want this bunch aboard the tardis because she wasn't thrilled?

"You have a ship," now Belva thawed a little clearly caught by surprise.

"Not too far away," he said airily ignoring Peri's shocked expression, "In fact I think we should head there right now," just as he said it the room shook again dislodging a flurry of loose objects that clattered around their feet.

Lifting her left wrist Belva said curtly, "This is leader to team, assemble at exit B," and without a backwards glance she headed for a door expecting them to follow. Catching up with her companion Peri snagged his arm.

"Why do you want this awful woman in the tardis?"

"I don't especially but we can't just leave her here," I could, thought the American very easily.

"Costigan's out there somewhere," the idea made her shiver.

"Yes and I want a word with him," the Doctor muttered, somehow Peri didn't think conversation would be high on the man's list of priorities.

"He left us to die; what is there to talk about?"

But the loud almost blinding coat was hurrying to keep up with Belva, who soon came across her four men near a grey airlock one was attempting to open, another violent shake threw them all around drunkenly and more dust fell from above, outside they could hear clanging and crashing as heaps of metal collapsed.

"Just how far is your ship," Belva demanded.

"A few yards," the Doctor reassured going over to the still closed airlock, "Allow me," he prized a panel open, tinkered inside and soon the thick airlock slid open, "It's a knack," his impish smile failed to impress the chairwoman.

"Any sign of Theo," she asked her men getting some blank expressions, "Then he must be outside."

Peri frowned, "What are you going to do when you find him," she had a nasty feeling it would be good news?

"That's our concern," the thin woman said tersely.

"You've got his job and his company, what more do you want?"

"Presumably," the Doctor surmised, "Whatever nasty little secrets Theo took with him before he left – blackmailing you is he?"

Not reacting Belva bundled them both outside and Peri hunted around for her mask and goggles; to hell with the hairnet maybe there was some extra strength shampoo in the tardis or perhaps the Doctor might share his hair regeneration secret.

Pipes rattled and fell in all directions, clumps of alloy shuddered and broke apart, the ground seemed to yaw like a choppy sea. If anything the dust in the air was even thicker and more smog-like, it scraped at her goggles like witch's fingers.

"This way," quite unaffected by shaking or pollution the Doctor bounded on ahead.

Belva's scowl deepened, "Energetic for his age," she remarked needing to hold onto one of her men, the biggest. You've no idea thought Peri wobbling all over the place herself.

"What does this ship or yours look like," Belva demanded?

"It's tall and blue, sort of box-shaped," Peri decided not to mention the writing.

"Sounds more like an escape pod," said one of the DRC men, yes thought Peri and we've escaped more than a few scrapes inside it.

"Will there be room for all of us," another man asked and Peri threw him a reassuring nod, plenty.

Then she fell against him, wrong footed by the shifting landscape which rippled and yawed alarmingly, luckily he caught her reassuringly strong and well muscled.

She offered a smile and a "thanks," but his features remained impassive, maybe these guys weren't allowed to smile it was against company regs or something.

"This place is tearing itself apart," she heard Belva complain, "How much further to your box?"

Not sure Peri tried to remember how long she and the Doctor had been walking before they encountered the chunky robot, it was about five maybe ten minutes so the tardis couldn't be too far away.

"I'm not sure," she began then turned to the man who'd been supporting her but he had vanished, had he walked off if so she couldn't see him to her left or right or rear.

Then for some reason she looked up and saw them, two kicking legs about ten feet above her head, the man was suspended in mid air held around the neck by some kind of clamp or claw, this extended back the way they'd come and was attached to...

Peri screamed, she couldn't help herself, clinging to a wall by means of three cybernetic legs Costigan hung there like some freakish spider, his robotic limps all had claws and with these he could dig into metal and concrete and hold on securely.

He was throttling the poor DRC man before her eyes, and then with a twist of his claw he snapped the luckless man's neck and hurled him aside.

Too shocked to speak she staggered backwards hands to her mouth; bumping into Belva who also looked horrified.

The other DRC men opened fire on Costigan but with unbelievable agility he twisted this way and that, squirming and ducking to make them miss. In his human hand he held his own blaster; he shot one man in the face and another in the stomach before leaping with prodigious speed onto the last DRC guard taking him down screaming.

"Run," Belva shoved Peri.

"Where," how could they outrun this human spider with his robot limbs and superhuman speed?

"We must reach your ship," Peri wasn't sure now which direction it was in.

"If only the Doctor were here," she groaned.

"He is," coming from high above them the familiar and confident voice boomed down making even Costigan glance up.

Balanced on top of a high wall made of cream coloured brick the time lord's coat billowed in the wind flapping around him, his thick hair seeming to stick out at all angles like a clown's wig.

Not remotely bothered by the narrowness or the height of his perch, or by the way the wall was trembling violently the Doctor fixed his most judgemental gaze on Costigan, "you," he roared, "are a murderer; amongst other things."

Face twisted with hatred and determination the deposed CEO uttered a low snarl and began to gambol towards the wall, with his robotic limbs he'd easily be able to climb it but first he took aim and fired at the Doctor.

Peri blinked not sure if she was seeing properly or if her eyes were playing tricks, the laser beams were bending around the Doctor curving in the air so as to miss him and shoot off at tangents.

She didn't understand why until she saw what was in the plump man's right hand, the sonic screwdriver and stuck to its tip was the micro processor he'd stolen from Costigan's chair; the one he'd used to knock out Laurel and Hardy.

"That's close enough," the Doctor warned but ignoring him the spider limbed man began to climb up the wall grunting with the effort, eyes wide and jaw clenched.

Belva took aim with her blaster having a clear shot but Peri pushed the arm down; she would not stand by and watch another pointless murder.

The sonic buzzed, the chip glowed and Costigan froze in his tracks his robot limbs whirring and fizzing but not moving. Snarling and raging she lifted his organic fist and aimed the blaster.

Grabbing Belva's gun Peri stepped forwards with the blaster in both fists, New York cop style, "Don't even try it," she said in her best Cagney and Lacey voice, "I'll use this if I have to," she hoped he couldn't see her knocking knees or hear the doubt in her own threat.

"I can't move," panicking now the ex CEO sounded wild with desperation.

"We must leave this planet," the Doctor was calmness personified, no posturing or bellowing, "Together," he added, "I have a craft but you will not attack Belva and she is not to attack you."

The current CEO glared at her predecessor and Peri realised how much they hated each other how must distrust there was.

"He stole company secrets," Steelbrace snapped, "To blackmail us."

"I'm not interested in your grubby little machinations," said the time lord hopping to a lower perch and not slipping once, how did he do that Peri wondered it was all she could do to keep still on level ground?

"Where will you drop us off," still frozen Costigan eyed the Doctor with suspicion?

"A neutral location," he was assured.

"I have a corporation to run," Belva fumed.

"One you stole off me," her rival huffed.

"You were removed by a legal vote Theo."

"One you rigged Belva."

"Enough," on the ground now the Doctor glared at the two protagonists, people with very fixed views and a deep distrust Peri thought.

"This doesn't concern us," she said, "We just wanna get out of here."

Wincing the time lord nodded, "Quite so," he said softly, "When I release you Theo you will follow us to my tardis, I expect you to conduct yourselves in a civil and responsible manner."

He looked at Belva and said, "I don't care which of you runs DRC, a shabby and disreputable outfit at the best of times; cloning planets indeed," and off he strode leaving Steelbrace glaring at his multi-coloured back.

Free to move Theo stomped and clomped towards the two women and Peri backed away anxiously, but he made no move to attack them.

"DRC is my company Belva," was all he said.

"Not any more Theo, you're old news," the skeletal woman hurled back.

"We'll see," Costigan didn't pause but kept on moving.

"Yes we will," Belva muttered under her breath.

Peri found the Doctor hoping around the central console doing his usual mad ballet checking this and that, his cheeks flushed and eyes bright with an odd manic glee.

On one screen was a news-feed from GNN the Galactic News Network; even in space you couldn't escape the media. She tried to see what story was running but with a deft turn he blocked her view.

"I'm taking you to a neutral location," he informed their wide eyed, open-mouthed guests, "After that we part company," and not a moment too soon his tone indicated.

Peri too found herself relieved, she didn't like either of these guys they were too corporate for her tastes all about the bottom line, a bit too Ronald Reagan as her student buddies might say.

"I need to call DRC," said Belva, it didn't sound like a request.

"As do I," Costigan added quickly even here they were jockeying for position.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you," the Doctor's voice suggested that he knew something they didn't.

"You can't stop me I'm the CEO," Belva began to object.

"Not for much longer," Theo scoffed.

"Actually," the Doctor paused theatrically, "Neither of you are," he revealed the news-feed.

DRC UNDER INVESTIGATION screamed the headline, FRAUD, CORRUPTION, PLANET CLONING, ILLEGAL WASTE DISPOSAL.

Peri couldn't believe her eyes, the company had been closed down all trading ceased, police had raided it's HQ and arrested many senior executives, warrants had been issued for two who were missing, the two now stood agog in the tardis.

It was hard not to burst out laughing but she tried, she really did.

"As I said I'll drop you off somewhere safe, after that," with a shrug the time lord half turned, winked at Peri and set coordinates.


End file.
